Thursday, April 30, 2009

Stumbled upon this on the Reuters site under Strange and Unusual. Indeed!

Christopher Cannon auditions for the performance-art show "Puppetry of the Penis" in New York April 14, 2009. Actors trying out were given a quick class on the different tricks to contort their genitals and then were individually tested to see if they had the skills.

Here's another one..

A demonstrator wearing a model of a hamburger on his head, is pictured during a protest by German farmers against patents on animal breeding in Munich, April 15, 2009.

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Malaysians are having it good for so long at the expense of our enviroment. The time has finally arrived for residents of Kuala Lumpur to do the necessary.

Starting June 1, each household in Kuala Lumpur will be provided with two rubbish bins (like the ones in the picture) — one for organic waste and the other for inorganic stuff.

These bins will be provided by Alam Flora, the waste collection concessionaire, and failure to comply with the requirement of separating the trash will result in the rubbish being left uncollected.

The new ruling is in line with the federal government's aim to have a more orderly and effective management of waste and to encourage people to recycle.

All organic waste will be sent to a centre for decomposition to be turned into fertiliser, whereas the inorganic waste would be sent to a recycling centre.

The current recycling rate in the city is at a low 5% but once the waste separation is successfully carried out, the rate could easily go up to 50%, according to Alam Flora chief executive officer, Zahri Abdul Ghani

Monday, April 27, 2009

The world is yet again faced with another scare. This time it is the Swine flu. I think this could be the same as the Nipah virus Malaysia had a few years ago which resulted in many human deaths among pig handlers and farmers and the culling of pigs and shutting down of pig farms in Negri Sembilan and those in and around Kuala Lumpur and elsewhere in the country.

The picture below shows a worker cleaning St. Francis Preparatory School in New York on April 26, 2009 after the swine flu was confirmed in eight students, prompting the federal government to declare a public health emergency across the United States.

The global race is on to contain swine flu outbreak. U.S. declares state of emergency as 20 cases confirmed; 86 dead in Mexico.

Excerpts from MSNBC:Mexico, the outbreak’s epicenter with up to 103 suspected deaths, canceled some church services and closed markets and restaurants. Few people ventured onto the streets, and some wore face masks. Canada became the third country to confirm cases, in six people, including some students who — like some New York City spring-breakers — got mildly ill in Mexico. Countries across Asia promised to quarantine feverish travelers returning from flu-affected areas.

New Zealand said 13 students who took a school trip to Mexico “likely” had swine flu. Spanish authorities had seven suspected cases under observation. A New York City school where eight cases are confirmed will be closed Monday and Tuesday.

China, Russia and Taiwan began planning to quarantine travelers arriving from flu-affected areas if they have symptoms. Italy, Poland and Venezuela advised citizens to postpone travel to affected parts of Mexico and the U.S.

The U.S. hasn’t advised against travel to Mexico but does urge precautions such as frequent hand-washing while there, and began questioning arriving travelers about flu symptoms.

CDC officials said Sunday they would begin handing out “yellow cards” at airports with information about signs, symptoms and ways to reduce the chance of acquiring the virus.

I just bought some ham so naturally I am concerned but I need not be because according to the US CDC, people cannot become infected by eating pork or pork products. Also, cooking pork to an internal temperature of 160 deg Fahrenheit kills the virus as well as other bacteria. Most cases of human infection occur when patients have direct contact with pigs.

However, human-to-human infections do occur similar to the way the human seasonal flu virus is transmitted — through coughing, sneezing and coming in contact with a person or object with the virus which accounts for the need of wearing a mask.

What are the symptoms?Just to be safe, if you have flu-like symptoms, it is best to see a doctor. Symptoms are similar to those of the regular human influenza virus: fever, lethargy, lack of appetite and coughing. Some who have been infected with the swine flu also reported having a runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Did anyone of you catch this week's American Idol? I just watched the results episode this morning and saw the bowing out of the contestant I rooted for. Awshucks!! He is none other than Anoop Desai. Truth be told, it isn't surprising, having to compete with the more talented (and zestfully gothic) Adam Lambert and (sweet) Kris Allen.

I actually thought Kris is the dark-horse. Gosh! he plays musical instruments too. He looked meek (and weak) in the earlier days but has grown into quite a force to be reckoned with these past few weeks.

I think this competition will boil down to between him and Adam Lambert. Btw, did you like Adam's rendition of Born to be Wild? Though Adam's cover is a refreshing difference sort of, I much prefer the original version from Steppenwolf. Here, let me share with you one of my favourite rock songs... interesting video too. (I hope the video is still available by the time you view it.)

A little bit more about American Idol before I move on to something else. Together with Anoop Desai, Lil Roundsgot voted out too, so there are now five contestants left - four guys and a doll. It's getting more exciting.

On a positive note, woke up to great news on the football front. I can only salute Manchester United for almost, almost repeating history when they beat Spurs (Tottenham Hotspurs) by 5 to 2. The last time, they came back with a scoreline of 5 to 3. So, yay!!

Last night's game was played too late so I managed to stay up for only the first half with Man United down by two goals to nil. The last thought on my mind before I was transported to slumberland was, would history repeat itself.. Close. Wonderful! Is it too early to celebrate, do you think? *Singing* We are the champions, my friends. And we'll keep on fighting - till the end. We are the champions, we are the champions... Better stop singing lest the other club supporters get offended. Peace.

Some headlines and news from The Star today..

- On the backpage, it says Great escape - Amazing comeback - Red Devils go top after handing Spurs a second-half thrashing- Tevez will stay: Fergie- Kaka may join the Red Devils- A chip of English tradition - Vidic says he will celebrate with a plate of fish and chips if United win title

and I am happy..

You all have a wonderful, wonderful Sunday. I'm off to buy some books and sit in a cafe sipping coffee watching people watching people go by. Ahh....life is sweet.

Saturday, April 25, 2009

As free as a bird. I think so too. Or next best thing would be to be able to fly your own aircraft and swing by to any destination you fancy just like what John Travolta is doing.

Talk about flying, in conjunction with the launching of their daily direct flight to Taiwan from July 1, AirAsia has come up with a package deal of 3D2N with hotel included. Booking period is from 24 April to 3 May and travel period is from 1 Jul to 31 Jan 2010.

The advert is in yesterday's papers, The Star, page N31. In today's papers, it was reported that 20000 seats have been snapped up within 12 hours of AirAsia opening its new Kuala Lumpur-Taipei route. Is there a recession? Perhaps many people travel to Taipeh on business and with AirAsia flying this route, a lot of savings can be realised.

Summer is fast approaching and when it does, Malaysia, like any other tourist destination, will be playing host to holiday-makers in droves. Five-star hotels would see very high occupancy rates and department stores would be bustling again with customers who don't bat an eyelid at the high prices of designer wear. Yep, summer is good for business. And yes, summer spells mega sales which the locals can take advantage of too.

Asbestos, despite it causing cancer, primarily lung cancer, it is still used worldwide though to a lesser extent.

According to Wikipedia, asbestos is a naturally occurring silicate mineral with long, thin fibrous crystals. The word asbestos is derived from a Greek adjective meaning inextinguishable. The Greeks termed asbestos the miracle mineral because of its soft and pliant properties, as well as its ability to withstand heat.

Asbestos is toxic. The inhalation of asbestos fibers can cause serious illnesses, including malignant mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis (also called pneumoconiosis). Since the mid 1980s, many uses of asbestos have been banned in several countries.

Should one be unfortunate enough to be stricken with cancer of the lungs, called mesothelioma, there are Mesothelioma lawyers who are well-versed in such cases and would be able to advise on legal options, etc.

Looking at how fast the recent unit trusts were snapped up, it is hard to believe that we (Malaysians) are experiencing bad times. AirAsia is doing a brisk business as people are still travelling on holiday or perhaps opt to travel budget to beat the high costs of air-travel. I had a hard time trying to book a decent hotel in Cameron Highlands for an upcoming short holiday.

However, if the economy does not pick up, more and more people would be losing their job as companies close or downsize. Less income would mean less demand for goods and that would in turn result in material goods ending up as surplus inventory. Expect more warehouse sales and other in-between-occasion sales coming up soon.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

I woke up this morning and looking out the window at the clear skies, I knew it would be a blue skies and bright sun-shining day and indeed it is. The sun is overhead as we speak and the temperature is 89degF outside and I am grateful for being indoors being able to enjoy the cool aircond surroundings, just had a great lunch and still having a job. Life is good..

The first 'social' email I opened up this morning is one that has a message, a message that everyone in the world would need to read, anyone who is strongly for peace and harmony and love of mankind. You, are about to make up the target readership of the 40 million worldwide.

The email says:

IN MEMORIAM - 64 YEARS LATER

Please read the little cartoon carefully, it's powerful. Then read the comments at the end.

I'm doing my small part by forwarding this message. I hope you'll consider doing the same.

In Memoriam (Click to enlarge image)

It is now more than 60 years after the Second World War in Europe ended This e-mail is being sent as a memorial chain, in memory of the six million Jews, 20 milli on Russians, 10 million Christians and 1,900 Catholic priests who weree murdered, massacred, raped, burned, starved and humiliated with the German and Russian Peoples looking the other way!

Now, more than ever, with Iraq, Iran, and others, claiming the Holocaust to be 'a myth,' it's imperative to make sure the world never forgets, because there are others who would like to do it again.

This e-mail is intended to reach 40 million people worldwide!

Join us and be a link in the memorial chain and help us distribute it around the world.

Please send this e-mail to 10 people you know and ask them to continue the memorial chain.
Please don't just delete it.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Miss USA entrant, Carrie Prejean, of California did not win the Miss USA crown last Friday.

It has been claimed that she didn't win the crown because she wasn't properly 'politically correct' when answering the gay marriage question "Should more states allow gay marriage?" Miss Prejean who doesn't think gays should marry answered, "I only believe in opposite marriage. No offense."). Here, take a look..

According to Yahoo! Entertainment, "Some in the audience cheered, others booed. The answer sparked a shouting match in the lobby after the show."

The crown went to Kristen Dalton of North Carolina. Ms Dalton comes from a family of beauty queens.

Perez Hilton, one of the Miss USA pageant judges and the one who posed the question is apparently not too pleased with the answer and came up with a YouTube video about how the question could or should have been answered. Check it out..

Banks are normally crowded but some banks were more crowded than others yesterday.

This scenario is of bank customers waiting to buy share units (unit trusts) issued by the government.

These unit trust funds bear an annual dividend higher than the regular Fixed Deposit dividends of only 2-over percent annually. These share units yield from between 6+ to 10+% annually. Foong has a good tracking.

A total of 3.33 billion ASM (Amanah Saham Malaysia) units were put up for sale yesterday, and will be on sale until July 20, subject to availability.

Another 2 billion units of Amanah Saham Wawasan 2020 will be offered starting April 27 to May 6.

Currently, ASM can be bought from ASNB offices nationwide, as well as through its agents, Malayan Banking Bhd (Maybank); CIMB Bank Bhd, RHB Bank Bhd and Pos Malaysia.

Saturday, April 18, 2009

At the age of 97 years and 4 months, Dr Shigeaki Hinohara is one of the world's longest-serving physicians and educators. Hinohara's magic touch is legendary: Since 1941 he has been healing patients at St. Luke's International Hospital in Tokyo and teaching at St. Luke's College of Nursing . After World War II, he envisioned a world-class hospital and college springing from the ruins of Tokyo ; thanks to his pioneering spirit and business savvy, the doctor turned these institutions into the nation's top medical facility and nursing school.

Today he serves as chairman of the board of trustees at both organizations. Always willing to try new things, he has published around 150 books since his 75th birthday, including one "Living Long, Living Good" that has sold more than 1.2 million copies. As the founder of the New Elderly Movement, Hinohara encourages others to live a long and happy life, a quest in which no role model is better than the doctor himself.

Energy comes from feeling good, not from eating well or sleeping a lot.We all remember how as children, when we were having fun, we often forgot to eat or sleep. I believe that we can keep that attitude as adults, too. It's best not to tire the body with too many rules such as lunchtime and bedtime.

All people who live long regardless of nationality, race or gender share one thing in common:None are overweight...For breakfast I drink coffee, a glass of milk and some orange juice with a tablespoon of olive oil in it. Olive oil is great for the arteries and keeps my skin healthy. Lunch is milk and a few cookies, or nothing when I am too busy to eat. I never get hungry because I focus on my work.. Dinner is veggies, a bit of fish and rice, and, twice a week, 100 grams of lean meat..

Always plan ahead. My schedule book is already full until 2014, with lectures and my usual hospital work. In 2016 I'll have some fun, though: I plan to attend the Tokyo Olympics!

There is no need to ever retire, but if one must, it should be a lot later than 65. The current retirement age was set at 65 half a century ago, when the average life-expectancy in Japan was 68 years and only 125 Japanese were over 100 years old. Today, Japanese women live to be around 86 and men 80, and we have 36,000 centenarians in our country. In 20 years we will have about 50,000 people over the age of 100...

Share what you know. I give 150 lectures a year, some for 100 elementary-school children, others for 4,500 business people. I usually speak for 60 to 90 minutes, standing, to stay strong.

When a doctor recommends you take a test or have some surgery, ask whether the doctor would suggest that his or her spouse or children go through such a procedure. Contrary to popular belief, doctors can't cure everyone. So why cause unnecessary pain with surgery I think music and animal therapy can help more than most doctors imagine.

To stay healthy, always take the stairs and carry your own stuff. I take two stairs at a time, to get my muscles moving.

My inspiration is Robert Browning's poem "Abt Vogler." My father used to read it to me. It encourages us to make big art, not small scribbles. It says to try to draw a circle so huge that there is no way we can finish it while we are alive. All we see is an arch; the rest is beyond our vision but it is there in the distance.

Pain is mysterious, and having fun is the best way to forget it. If a child has a toothache, and you start playing a game together, he or she immediately forgets the pain. Hospitals must cater to the basic need of patients: We all want to have fun. At St. Luke's we have music and animal therapies, and art classes.

Don't be crazy about amassing material things.Remember: You don't know when your number is up, and you can't take it with you to the next place.

Hospitals must be designed and prepared for major disasters, and they must accept every patient who appears at their doors.We designed St.... Luke's so we can operate anywhere: in the basement, in the corridors, in the chapel. Most people thought I was crazy to prepare for a catastrophe, but on March 20, 1995, I was unfortunately proven right when members of the Aum Shinrikyu religious cult launched a terrorist attack in the Tokyo subway. We accepted 740 victims and in two hours figured out that it was sarin gas that had hit them. Sadly we lost one person, but we saved 739 lives.

Science alone can't cure or help people.Science lumps us all together, but illness is individual. Each person is unique, and diseases are connected to their hearts. To know the illness and help people, we need liberal and visual arts, not just medical ones.

Life is filled with incidents. On March 31, 1970, when I was 59 years old, I boarded the Yodogo, a flight from Tokyo to Fukuoka . It was a beautiful sunny morning, and as Mount Fuji came into sight, the plane was hijacked by the Japanese Communist League-Red Army Faction. I spent the next four days handcuffed to my seat in 40-degree heat. As a doctor, I looked at it all as an experiment and was amazed at how the body slowed down in a crisis.

Find a role model and aim to achieve even more than they could ever do. My father went to the United States in 1900 to study at DukeUniversity in North Carolina . He was a pioneer and one of my heroes. Later I found a few more life guides, and when I am stuck, I ask myself how they would deal with the problem.

It's wonderful to live long.Until one is 60 years old, it is easy to work for one's family and to achieve one's goals. But in our later years, we should strive to contribute to society. Since the age of 65, I have worked as a volunteer. I still put in 18 hours seven days a week and love every minute of it.

Friday, April 17, 2009

Lizards and snakes make me nervous. I would feel safe if my legs are off the floor when I see snakes on tv or when I'm in a cinema - better yet, I switch channels on tv. I remember when I went to Penang some years back, I waited outside the Snake Temple for the rest to finish their tour of the temple. Surprise, this quiz says I'm a snake. *Sigh*

You Are a Snake

You have extraordinarily sharp senses.

You sense what's going on almost before it happens.

You connect with the world. People instantly feel close to you.

You are a natural protector. You take good care of your friends.

You are an ambitious person. Your ambitions drive you.

But while you are ambitious, you are also humble. You are thankful for everything you have.

Thursday, April 16, 2009

I believe yesterday, April 15, was Income Tax Day for taxpayers of the US of A. For Malaysian taxpayers, the deadline for submission of Income Tax returns is April 30 for personal taxpayers and June 30 for corporate taxpayers. It's wise to submit early to avoid the queues.

For most of us, the common practice is to just complete all the necessary information on the form (either online or still on paper-forms) and then submit without giving it a thought as to how we can take advantage of certain tax-deductibles or rebates.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

The other day, I passed by the National Zoo at Ulu Klang and was pleasantly surprised by the new refurbished look of its entrance. Well, it's about time!

It's been many years since I last visited the National Zoo so I suppose a visit again is on the cards. I'm actually very happy that the authorities decided not to relocate the National Zoo. It's just about 12km from the city center. The proposed location is so remotely away from the city that the distance would be a deterrent to visitors. As it is, National Zoo is badly in need of more gate-takings.

A zoo provides one with a lot of photo opportunities, that is if you like animal photography. Many factors come into play in order to get the best results - patience and determination and having skills relating to photography including camera-handling.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Over here, we don't get to see on tv Britain's talent show, Britain's Got Talent, so besides Paul Potts and others in the same season, I am practically in the dark about other talents in that talent show. I could go on YouTube or others, of course, but just didn't.

The latest participant that has got a lot of web attention is Susan Boyle. Her performance had the audience on their feet and the three judges totally amazed. Simon Cowell's one of the judges. According to Yahoo! she's already meeting with officials from Mr. Cowell's Sony BMG label.

Susan Boyle is 47 years old, never been kissed and lives alone with her cat, Pebbles.

She sang "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Miserables. This certainly won't be the last you hear of Susan Boyle.

I just found out that all YouTube videos on Susan Boyle's performance have been disabled for embedding. No matter, you can still watch her here. This video has been viewed more than 4.6m times and still counting.

I was just reading an article from a friend in Singapore about the gloomy state of affairs of a once booming economy, Singapore's. The writer compared Singapore's seaport to being the Chicago O'Hare of freighters and supertankers during the time when world trade was booming. Nearly everything manufactured in Singapore is made for export and one out of every three workers is a foreigner.

Unfortunately, the current scenario is different. Thousands have been repatriated ranging from six-figure income financial wizards to Bangladeshi factory workers. Oh dear, what would they do with all those excess industrial equipment supplies they have on their hands. I suppose Malaysia could be in a similar situation.

What we read in the papers about wars and invasions may be true but there are some scenarios that could have been overlooked inadvertently which could have some bearing on how the world perceives things.

Take this story, for instance. It's a tough, but heart-warming story...with a picture of John Gebhardt in Iraq.

Let me quote from the email:

John Gebhardt's wife, Mindy, said that this little girl's entire family was executed. The insurgents intended to execute the little girl also, and shot her in the head...but they failed to kill her. She was cared for in John's hospital and is healing up, but continues to cry and moan. The nurses said John is the only one who seems to calm her down, so John has spent the last four nights holding her while they both slept in that chair. The girl is coming along with her healing.

This is worth sharing with the WORLD! Go for it!!? You'll never see things like this in the news. Please keep this going. Nothing will happen if you don't, but the public needs to see pictures like this.

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Even though we do not have seasons here, somehow, some trees bloom with lovely white, pink, violet and yellow flowers much like those of temperate climate when it comes to Springtime in the northern hemisphere. Did you notice that too?

Last year and the year before, I managed to take some pictures of the colourful blooms somewhere in March or April. Below is a picture from last year's post.

But this year, the blooms came and went just as quickly that I missed them. No picture this year of Malaysian flowers but better yet, let me take you to Japan for cherry blossoms and other beauties of Spring on Pandabonium and the Moody Minstrel's blogs.

This is borrowed from Pandabonium's blog. You can see more beautiful pictures on PandaB's blog.

And this is from the Moody Minstrel's blog. Visit MM's blog for more beautiful flowers including lovely colourful tulips.

Have you cast your vote yet for Sipadan Island to be included as one of the new Seven Wonders of the World? The last time when I first talked about voting for Sipadan, the New7Wonders site was quite difficult to access, but not this time. Give it a shot. Vote for Sipadan in the Asia continent.

A little update since the last time, Sipadan has qualified to be among the 261 national and multinational nominees emerging from 222 participating countries in the nomination stage. The next stage requires Sipadan to make it to the top 77 by group category in the second stage that started in January ending on July 7 this year. So every vote counts.

Taking a cue from sunblock from the previous post, I met a friend whom I've not seen for over a year. I was very glad we bumped into one another and she has the sweetest smile. But what saddened me was her pimply complexion.

Sunblock is totally irrelevant now. Perhaps what she needs is to revamp her lifestyle which includes improving on her diet - eating habits in general, maybe drinking a lot more liquids (water and fruit juices), getting enough sleep, being able to handle stress better, etc. I don't know, there are lots of factors that contribute to skin problems or health in general. She may even need something called microdermabrasion to rejuvenate her skin and put back the health in it. In the meantime, I hope her complexion improves.

It's the weekend again and a glorious day outside, one that is a far cry from the gloominess of the past few days. One that makes you aware of the beauty of the greenery outside, the birds fluttering about among the trees, fluffy clouds in the sky. Yes, one that makes you happy to be alive!

There are lots of places I'd like to visit on a day like this though I'd need to be armed with an umbrella, a pair of good walking shoes and yes, swathed in sunblock.

If one were to go downtown these days, especially in the Chinatown area, one would notice a difference in human traffic. With job-cuts resulting in contractors, mainly foreigners, being sent home, human traffic congestion has been noticeably reduced. Many businesses have significantly reduced production, many have even seized operation. Employees most affected are those holding blue-collar jobs. I wonder if investment banker jobs are similarly affected. Maybe not as banks here are still going strong. And that is a good sign. Amen to that!

Thursday, April 9, 2009

If Malaysia's recent by-election ballot paper (as in The Star picture here) is XL-sized, Indonesia's would be much bigger as there are 12,000 candidates in the Indonesian polls or that's what I heard on tv last night. It may be true as according to Yahoo!, The ballot papers, listing 38 parties, are the size of a newspaper or roughly the width of a polling booth. There you go!

Indonesia is really a big country, so it's not surprising there are so many constituencies to cover.

From Wikipedia:Indonesia comprises 17,508 islands, and with an estimated population of around 237 million people, it is the world's fourth most populous country.

Indonesia is the world's most populous Muslim-majority nation; however, no reference is made to Islam in the Indonesian constitution. Indonesia is a republic, with an elected legislature and president. The nation's capital city is Jakarta. The country shares land borders with Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Malaysia. Other neighboring countries include Singapore, the Philippines, Australia, and the Indian territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Over lunch the other day, on the subject of the kinds of jobs that people do after graduation while waiting for their dream-job to come along, a senior co-worker shared that he sold insurance. It wasn't easy, he said.

His first clients naturally were his family members. Back then, there was no such thing as a health insurance lead. You would have to find your own lead and do a lot of networking with friends and family, and strangers alike.

What did you used to do after graduation or before you became famous. Eh?

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Remember the Friday Frolics post on famous people? Today, Manish of India left a comment on the post and sent me an email requesting for the name-list. I decided to help him find the answer.

You would want to know too, wouldn't you? But before I let you in on the list, a little credit to the artists is in order, don't you think?

This oil-on-canvas extraordinary painting by little-known-Taiwanese artists Dai Dudu, Li Tiezi and Zhang An (who appear in the top right of the picture - click on image to enlarge it), has become the latest internet hit - with people naturally fascinated by the challenge of trying to identify all 103 famous people who are gathered for what appears to be the ultimate dinner party.

Completed in 2006, it is titled Discussing The Divine Comedy With Dante .

If you would like to know more about each personality, click on the image map that has titles and wikipedia links. You will also be able to see a bigger image of the painting making it easier to identify the personalities. Delightful.

A cousin and her family just came back from a holiday in Bangkok. I've not had the chance to catch up with her. Being shopaholics, I'm sure they would have enjoyed themselves. Chatuchak weekend market comes to mind..

My, everyone seems to be travelling or planning on some travel. A girlfriend and some of her buddies are planning a trip to Disneyworld in September and I think they have already made their reservations with Westgate, a site for hotel accommodations.

And what if something should happen?" protests the driver, wishing he'd never gone to work that morning.

"Who's going to tell? Besides, there might be something extra in it for you," says the Pope with a smile.

Reluctantly, the driver gets in the back as the Pope climbs in behind the wheel. The driver quickly regrets his decision when, after exiting the airport, the Pontiff floors it, accelerating the limo to 105 mph.

The Pope pulls over and rolls down the window as the cop approaches, but the cop takes one look at him, goes back to his motorcycle, and gets on the radio. "I need to talk to the Chief," he says to the dispatcher.

The Chief gets on the radio and the cop tells him that he's stopped a limo going a hundred and five.

"So bust him," says the Chief.

"I don't think we want to do that, he's really big," said the cop.

The Chief exclaimed," All the more reason!"

"No, I mean really important," said the cop with a bit of persistence. The Chief then asked, "Who ya got there, the Mayor?"

Would you just look at these delicious barbequed chicken wings!! These days, I have drastically cut down on them. And all because of this email which I have repeatedly received from well-meaning friends. I'm sure you have received it too.

A friend of mine recently had a growth in her womb and she underwent an operation to remove it. The cyst removed was filled with a dark colored blood. She thought that she would be recovered after the surgery but she was terribly wrong.

A relapse occurred just a few months later. Distressed, she rushed down to her gynecologist for a consultation.

During her consultation, her doctor asked her a question that puzzled her.

He ask if she was a frequent consumer of chicken wings and she replied yes wondering as to how, he knew of her eating habits.

You see, the truth is in this modern day and age; chickens are injected with steroids to accelerate their growth so that the needs of this society can be met. This need is none other than the need for food.

Chickens that are injected with steroids are usually given the shot at the neck or the wings.

Therefore, it is in these places that the highest concentration of steroids exists. These steroids have terrifying effects on the body as it accelerates growth. It has an even more dangerous effect in the presence of female hormones, this leads to women being more prone to the growth of a cyst in the womb. Therefore, I advise the people out there to watch their diets and to lower their frequency of consuming chicken wings!

And I've been asked to forward the email to friends and loved ones, that's why it's posted here.

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

I've been talking a lot about AirAsia lately, haven't I? No, I'm not paid for it in case you are wondering. This post came about because I was tickled by Robin's comment in my previous post about AirAsia being awarded World's Best Low Cost Carrier.

Robin said but the rush for seat very frightening. Frankly, I felt the same way too on my last trip to Kuching on AirAsia. I also saw a guy quickly got on the plane and immediately stuffed his bags into the front overhead luggage compartment before proceeding to the back of the plane. That's a useful lesson, I told myself.

In case the rushing of seats is the one thing that turns you off AirAsia, no more worries now as they have introduced seat allocation and you can pick your favourite seat - for a fee, of course. Remember this is budget airline so everything on request has a price. Still, the total sum may be way below the ticket on a regular full-fare/full service carrier to the same destination.

Here's a video to drive home the point why you'd want to pick a seat. With Pick A Seat, you’re guaranteed the seat of choice.

Below is a layout of the plane. The seating arrangement in this diagram reflects those of the Airbus A320 only.

The seats in red are the hot seats and they come priced something like five times the price of a standard seat. For instance, a standard seat in Malaysia would be at RM5 while a hot seat would be at RM25; in Singapore the rate would be S$2.20, a hot seat at S$11; Below is the fee structure for your quick reference.

Sunday, April 5, 2009

Air travel is really an expensive affair. For example, a return ticket to Singapore and back to Kuala Lumpur on Malaysia Airlines would set you back around RM600. With the introduction of budget airline, the same return trip on AirAsia (though on the first flight out) would only cost you RM158.

This substantial difference in airfare has resulted in a lot more people travelling for leisure though travellers might gripe about AirAsia's time-keeping, comfort level of seats, price of cabin food and whatnot.

In spite of all the complaints, AirAsia's products and service standards have been voted by travellers as above those of other low cost carriers. While MAS has been awarded World's Best Cabin Staff, AirAsia has been awarded World’s Best Low-cost Carrier by Skytrax beating competitors like Ryanair, Easyjet and Southwest Airlines.

AirAsia group chief executive officer Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes said, "AirAsia stood among other low-cost carriers largely based on its amazing cabin crew, professional pilots and guest serving staff on the ground."

“We are also good in many ways including on-time schedule, web check-in, airbus and food. Our assigned seating system has pleased many passengers and our call centre has high performance in serving them,” he said.

He said AirAsia’s efforts to improve would not stop here as the ultimate aim was to be the best airline in the world.

I'm not politically-inclined but with the coming onboard of the new PM two days ago, I thought I'd do some reading up just to keep up-to-date. I tell you, Malaysian politics is depressing! That's all I want to say. Talking about anything else is more elevating so I shant burden you with our politics.

Today is the actual Formula One held in our race-tracks in Sepang. Someone I know turned down an offer of grandstand tickets at RM50! Apparently, not everyone is interested in subjecting oneself to speed and noise, not to mention the heat which is at approx 34degC outside right now. Did I mention our 5-star hotels are fully-booked and are at three times the normal rate? But I digress..

The gown has a 6m-long train studded with diamonds and Swarovski crystals while a spectacular 70 carat tear-drop diamond from international jeweller, Mouawad, sparkled on the gown’s left bustier. A pair of Datuk Jimmy Choo shoes completed the ensemble.

Even at such a hefty price, there are potential buyers and that it would be shown to them soon. The “Nightingale of Kuala Lumpur” would be travelling to three cities in the Middle East.

Saturday, April 4, 2009

Malaysia is at the close of yet another chapter in the history of the nation as the country's fifth Prime Minister, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, makes way for the sixth Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, son of the country's second Prime Minister.

I find it hard to believe that a national carrier of a small nation could pull off such a feat. But, yay!

Malaysia Airlines (MAS) has done it again. For the sixth year this year, MAS has won the renowned Skytrax World’s Best Cabin Staff Award, bagging the award from 2001 to 2004 and again in 2007.

MAS was pitched against other airlines worldwide and the winning airline is determined through a global online survey.

The 2009 World Airline Awards is based on the annual World Airline Survey by airline auditor Skytrax; and is recognised across the globe as the leading independent monitor of passenger opinions.

While we are on airlines, let's learn something about flying. Have you ever mulled over whether to go for a window or aisle seat on a flight? Experts advise to pick the aisle seat to help avoid dangerous blood clots or DVT (Deep-vein thrombosis), and it makes no difference whether you are sitting in economy or business class according to a U.S. study.

The study found that 75 percent of cases of deep-vein thrombosis were due to people not moving enough and most sufferers were in non-aisle seats where passengers tended to move less.

Wearing compression stockings has been proven to reduce the risk. Other common sense recommendations include drinking lots of water and cutting back on alcohol and caffeine.

As for catching an infection off someone on a plane, there is little concern unless you are within two rows of that person.

And for jet lag, try a dose of melatonin at the bedtime of the desired destination.

Reality shows are a dime a dozen these days. No, not really that bad but there truly are a lot of reality shows lately.

Off-hand, I can think of the Survivor series, The Amazing Race, the various Idol shows, and who can miss out Who Wants to be A Millionaire? And then there's one on dating and Trump's The Apprentice, of course, and one on being a Dog Groomer.

And one that's coming up is The Big Looser. This one is about losing weight. No, a diet pill won't do. Participants have to go through the grind of actually losing weight through strenuous and back-breaking workouts. Whoever loses the most weight wins.

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi (left) arrived at Istana Negara at 9.59am this morning for an audience with the King, Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin, and left at 10.57am.

Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak then arrived at the palace at 11.20am to meet the King and left at 12.15pm.

Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak is expected to be sworn in as prime minister on Friday in a planned power transition that has been one year in the making.

Abdullah, who became the Malaysia’s fifth premier in October 2003, was pressured to step down after the ruling National Front (Barisan Nasional) coalition suffered its worst results in the March 8 general elections last year when it lost its two-thirds majority in Parliament.

Of late, I've noticed a lot more cats and kittens in my neighbourhood, some even lounging at my front porch which I see them when I come home in the evening. I know they are not strays because they are clean (their fur, that is) and they disappear come nightfall, assuming they are back home with their humans.

However, not all cats and kittens are that lucky. Robin, who has been sponsoring a cat shelter, indicated that in this economic slowdown, cats in Singapore have been dumped out onto the streets to fend for themselves. And some of them are designer cats who have no inkling as to how to live in the wild. Robin, himself owns close to a dozen designer cats and dogs,

The increase in the number of cats that are being taken in has escalated and it is now badly in need of funds to run the shelter.

Here is what Robin wrote in his email:

Dear Fellow Bloggers,

Hope u can help to raise funds for my cats shelter... or by highlighting this information in your wonderful blog.

with gratitudeRobin

---------------We have been sponsoring an animal shelter for stray cats and dogs for the past few years with Christabel Chai.

Starting with 300 cats during the SARS cats culling period, we have now housed 1400 of stray and injured cats... and the cost is going up.

After complaints from neighbours and moving the shelter 3 times, we have managed to rent a farm space in Lim Chu Kang Lane 1 and have a proper shelter for these neglected animals. Some of them are saved from AVA before they kill them or from members of public who informed us about abandon or abused pets.

With the economic tsunami and retrenchment of expats, we see an sharp increase of abandon cats and dogs.. and many of them are not familiar to street and got knock down by cars.

We need to request for sponsorship to help maintain this shelter. If you want to donate and support our kitty care service which houses stray cats, you can transfer funds to Singapore POSB 028-40829-3. Any amount will defray our cost of maintaining the shelter. The cost of feeding a cat per day is about S$1.00 excluding rental and cleaning.

Please also visit our website and if anyone wish to adopt a cat, please contact us... Adoption is subjected to terms and conditions of pets adoption and suitability.

Thanks you for your support.

http://kittycareservices.blogspot.com/

-- With Gratitude and Loving Kindness,ROBIN

So people, any financial help you can extend will be very much appreciated.